Portal:Military history of Australia/Units/April 22

Members of the 2/7th Battalion with a Bren Carrier in October 1940

The 2/7th Australian Infantry Battalion was a battalion of the 6th Australian Division raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force for World War II. The battalion was raised at Puckapunyal, Victoria on 15 April 1940 and departed for Egypt later that year. The battalion saw action at Bardia and Tobruk in North Africa, and in Greece and on Crete in 1941. Defensive duties were undertaken on Ceylon in 1942, before the battalion returned to Australia to fight the Japanese. The battalion deployed to New Guinea twice. In 1942–1943, they took part in the Salamaua–Lae campaign, which was followed by the Aitape–Wewak campaign in 1944–1945. They embarked to return to Australia on 18 December 1945 and disbanded at Puckapunyal in February 1946. Its leader for most of its service life was Lieutenant Colonel Henry Guinn, who led the 2/7th from its escape from Greece to the Pacific theatre.